JP6964310B2 - Assistance handle body for lower limb orthotics and lower limb orthotics - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lower limb orthotic device used for rehabilitation of a patient who develops paralysis of the lower limbs due to a disorder of the brain and the central nerve, and a caregiving handle body for the lower limb orthotic device.

FIG. 7 shows the configuration of the conventional lower limb orthotic device 90 shown in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 11, the lower limb orthotic device 90 includes a thigh support portion 91, a frontal support portion 92 below the knee, a rear support portion 93 of the lower leg portion, a stirrup portion 94, and a support column 95. Further, the support column 95 is provided with a knee joint 96 that enables bending and extension of the knee.

By attaching the lower limb orthotic device 90 to the patient's leg, it is possible to perform training for rehabilitating a patient with paralyzed lower limbs to recover the muscle strength of the lower limbs and enable walking by the lower limbs. That is, the ideal muscle activity can be obtained by assisting the muscle activity of the lower limbs in one walking cycle by using the lower limb orthotic device 90.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of forming an assistance loop in the lower limb orthotic device. That is, the struts 95 are formed on the left and right sides of the thigh support portion 91, and the support loops 97 that enable assistance by a caregiver are provided on the struts 95 of the lower limb equipment 90 on the left and right sides of the thigh support portion 91. By forming the legs so as to cross between the struts 95, the caregiver can assist the patient in swinging out by grasping the caregiving loop 97 with the arm 98 and lifting the front of the thigh.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of forming an assistance bar that can be grasped by a caregiver. That is, by providing an annular synthetic resin assistance bar 99 at the upper end of the support 95 on the outside of the thigh of the lower limb orthotic device 90, the caregiver grabs the assistance bar 99 and lifts the outer side of the thigh. It is possible to assist the patient in starting walking.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-113312

However, when the conventional assist loop 97 and the assist bar 99 are used for swinging, the swinging time until the heel touches the ground at the initial stage of the swing leg can be extended as compared with the non-paralyzed side. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to orient the hip joint from the swing phase to the heel contact phase, and the toes of the paralyzed lower limbs are easily swung outward to be in the external rotation position.

That is, in the caregiving loop 97, it is easy to assist the lower limbs to swing forward in the swing phase of one walking cycle, but the toes of the feet are located in front of the thighs because the handle portion is located in front of the thighs. It was difficult to assist in controlling the body center of gravity in the mid-standing period when the heel of the other leg was separated from the ground from the load response period when it touched the ground.

On the other hand, since the assistance bar 99 is attached to the upper end of the side surface of the support column 95, it is easy to control the center of gravity during the stance phase, but in the assistance during the swing phase, the synthetic resin is twisted by applying a large force. It became a problem and I couldn't apply enough force. When the assistance bar 99 is made of a metal having sufficient rigidity, there is a problem that not only the manufacturing cost is increased but also the weight of the assistance bar 99 itself hinders walking.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned matters, and although it has an extremely simple and lightweight configuration, it assists walking by a paralyzed lower limb and extends the lower limb during the swing phase in one walking cycle. It is an object of the present invention to provide a lower limb orthotic device and an assistive handle body for the lower limb orthotic device capable of easily adjusting the direction and distance of leaching.

In order to solve the above problems, the first invention comprises shoes to be worn on the lower limbs to be worn, a thigh support body that is wrapped around the thigh and held, a shin support body that is wrapped around the shin and held, and these support bodies. It is provided with a support body attached to both the left and right sides of the shoe to support weight support by the lower limbs, and an assistance handle body attached to the outside of the support body, and the assistance handle body is extended along the support body. The grip portion is provided with a mounting portion and a grip portion formed by bending the mounting portion in a substantially L-shape, and when the longitudinal direction of the support column is directed in a substantially vertical direction, the grip portion is formed. Provided is a lower limb device characterized in that it is configured to extend substantially in the horizontal direction ( claim 1) . The mounting portion may be screwed to the strut body at two places spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the strut body (claim 2).

By attaching the shoes to the legs of a user whose lower limbs are paralyzed, wrapping the shin support body around the calf and the thigh support body around the thigh, the thigh support body provides struts on both the left and right sides of the thigh. Along, the shin support body can support the struts along the left and right sides of the calf, and the shoes can support the struts along the left and right sides of the ankle. Therefore, even a user whose lower limbs are paralyzed and whose muscle strength is weakened can support the weight by the lower limbs by his / her own will, and can further support self-walking using the lower limbs.

Further, it is also possible for the caregiver to grasp the grip portion to assist the patient in walking. At this time, the direction of the lower limbs and the leaching distance can be adjusted reasonably by the caregiving handle body bent in a substantially L shape. In other words, when swinging out in one walking cycle, it can be swung out in the same cycle and time as on the non-paralyzed side by assistance using the caregiving handle body, and the direction of the hip joint does not become excessive external rotation even in the swing phase. It is easy to provide assistance.

The shin support portion and the thigh support body are formed by forming a sheet body such as synthetic bark, skin, or cloth in a band shape and wrapped around the shin or thigh, and are provided with a hook-and-loop fastener, a hook, a button, a shoe cord, a belt, or the like. It is preferably formed so as to be able to hold the wound state, and optimally, it is formed on the outer periphery of the support body body to be wound around the thigh or shin, and is provided with a tightening belt provided so as to be easily detachable by a hook-and-loop fastener. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the time required for wearing the lower limb equipment and to perform reliable wearing. In addition, non-woven fabric, sponge, cotton, raised parts, etc. that serve as cushioning materials are formed inside the shin support body and the thigh support body so that pain does not occur at the contact parts of the shin, calf, and thigh in the worn state. be able to.

The caregiving handle body is a substantially L-shaped frame made of metal having sufficient rigidity such as aluminum, magnesium, titanium, steel, and stainless steel, and a cushioning material such as sponge, synthetic resin, or rubber is wrapped around the frame as a caregiving grip. It is preferable that the grip portion is provided, which makes it possible to simplify and reduce the weight with the minimum necessary configuration. Further, the attachment portion of the caregiving handle body can be, for example, biz-stopped by using screw holes provided at the top and bottom, so that the attachment portion can be attached to and detached from the lower limb orthotic body.

The strut body includes a knee joint that allows the knee to bend and stretch at a position corresponding to the knee, and the knee joint includes an urging connecting body that is urged in a direction that extends the knee at the upper end of the strut body below the knee. An urging switching operation piece that switches to an urging state in which the urging force acts on the flexion and extension of the knee by connecting the strut body on the knee to the urging connecting body, and the urging connecting body by the urging switching operation piece. In the disengaged state in which the connection with the knee is released, the knee provided on the knee is provided with a support portion that supports the support body above the knee and the support body below the knee so as to be rotatable in the flexion / extension direction. The knee can be flexed and extended by the joint.

In the state where the urging switching operation piece is switched to the urging state, the urging connecting body is connected to the struts above the knee, so that the struts above the knee are attached to the struts below the knee in the extension direction of the knee. It is configured to be able to bend and stretch in a stretched state. Therefore, even if the lower limbs are not as strong as expected due to paralysis, the urging force applied to the urging connector can support the knee in the direction of extension, and the user can support the weight by his / her lower limbs. Is possible. It is also possible for the user to bend the knee when he / she wants to bend the knee against the urging force applied to the urging connector.

Furthermore, the user who has recovered enough to support the weight of the user in the lower limbs can bend and stretch the knee by his / her own muscle strength by switching the urging switching operation piece to the urging release state. Because it can be done, efficient rehabilitation for training more natural walking can be performed.

The urging connection body may have various configurations. For example, a flat plate rotatably connected to a support body below the knee, and a step portion pressed in the extension direction of the knee by the urging force of a spring. It shall be provided with a slit that is formed so as to be slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the support on the knee and is made immovable with respect to the support on the knee by engaging with the biasing switching operation piece. Therefore, it is possible to provide sufficient strength while being simple. It is preferable that the spring is provided with a knee support adjusting mechanism for adjusting the urging force by pressing the spring by screwing so that the spring can gradually walk on its own according to the degree of recovery.

The strut body is provided with an ankle joint that allows the ankle to tilt while urging the ankle back and forth within a predetermined range at a position corresponding to the ankle, and this ankle joint tilts the strut body below the ankle with respect to the strut body above the ankle. A sufficient force can be applied to the ankle by providing a tilting support portion that freely supports the ankle and an elastic body in the front and rear that exerts an urging force on the strut body below the ankle in the anterior-posterior direction. Even a user who cannot do so can regulate the ankle system in the anterior-posterior direction, so that he / she can support him / her to walk on his / her own.

Since the elastic bodies provided in the front and rear can separately set the urging force applied to the forward tilt and the backward tilt, the optimum adjustment for supporting walking can be performed. The elastic body is preferably a spring, and more preferably has an ankle support adjusting mechanism for adjusting the urging force by pressing the elastic body against the spring by screwing.

The second invention is attached to the outer strut body of the lower limb device that supports self-walking when the lower limb muscle strength is weakened by mounting the strut body along the side surface of the lower limb to be attached, so as to follow the strut body. The grip portion is provided with an extended attachment portion and a grip portion that is bent in a substantially L shape with respect to the attachment portion, and when the longitudinal direction of the support column is directed substantially in the vertical direction, the grip portion is formed. Provided is an assistance handle body for a lower limb device, which is configured to extend in a substantially horizontal direction (claim 3 ). The mounting portion may be screwed to the strut body at two places spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the strut body (claim 4).

The assist handle body is easily attached to the outer strut body of the lower limb orthotic device that allows the strut body to run along the side surface of the lower limb, and the caregiver can grasp the grip portion to assist the patient in walking. At this time, the direction of the lower limbs and the leaching distance can be adjusted reasonably by the caregiving handle body bent in a substantially L shape. In other words, when swinging out in one walking cycle, it can be swung out in the same cycle and time as on the non-paralyzed side by assistance using the caregiving handle body, and the direction of the hip joint does not become excessive external rotation even in the swing phase. It is easy to provide assistance.

In the examples described later, the grip portion of the assist handle body is formed in a substantially L shape because it is bent at approximately 90 ° with respect to the mounting portion. The bending angle is not limited to approximately 90 °. That is, the frame may be formed at an obtuse angle (for example, 130 to 140 °) or an acute angle than 90 °.

As described above, by attaching the lower limb orthotic device of the present invention to the lower limbs of the user, it is possible to perform rehabilitation of independent walking using the paralyzed lower limbs, and the caregiving person holds the grip of the caregiving handle body. It is possible to assist the user in walking, and it is possible to prevent the lower limbs from being in the external rotation position and assist the user in independent walking.

It is a front view which shows the structure of the lower limb orthotic device of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the caregiving handle body of the lower limb orthotic. It is a figure explaining the connection of the caregiving handle body to the lower limb orthotic. It is a figure explaining the structure and operation of the knee joint of the lower limb orthotic. It is a figure explaining the operation in another state of the knee joint. It is a figure explaining the structure and operation of the ankle joint of the lower limb orthotic. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the conventional lower limb orthotic device. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the conventional lower limb orthotic device. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the conventional lower limb orthotic device.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the lower limb orthotic device 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. As shown in FIG. 1, the lower limb equipment 1 includes shoes 2 worn on the lower limbs to be worn, a thigh support body 3 that is wrapped around the thigh and held, a shin support body 4 that is wrapped around the shin and held, and these support bodies 3. , 4 and the strut body 5 (5A, 5B) attached to both the left and right sides of the shoe 2 to support the weight support by the lower limbs, and the assistance handle body 6 attached to the outside of the strut body 5B located on the outside of the thigh. Be prepared.

Further, the supports 5A and 5B both have a knee joint 10 at a position corresponding to the knee and an ankle joint 11 at a position corresponding to the ankle. In the following description, when the position is clarified, the support 5 on the knee above the knee joint 10 is the support 5H, and the support 5 from the knee joint 10 to the ankle joint 11 is the support 5M. The support 5 below the ankle joint 11 is referred to as a support 5L. Further, the shoes 2, the thigh support body 3, and the shin support body 4 all include belts 12, 13, and 14 that can be attached and detached while each part is tightened by a hook-and-loop fastener.

As shown in FIG. 2, the caregiving handle body 6 has a mounting portion 7 extending along the support column body 5A and a grip hand formed by bending the mounting portion 7 in a substantially L shape. A unit 8 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 3, the mounting portion 7 has a width similar to that of the support column 5, and can form two biz holes 16 in accordance with the two screw holes 15 provided in the support column 5, and is sufficient. Since it is made of a steel material having a length for connecting by force and is bent in a substantially L shape, the grip portion 8 can be extended in a substantially horizontal direction by assembling to the support body 5 with a screw 17. can. Since the frame of the caregiving handle body 6 is a frame made of substantially L-shaped steel or the like, the force in the front-rear direction, the vertical direction, and the rotation direction can be easily applied to the support body 5 while achieving weight reduction. It can be transmitted, the leaching direction and distance of one walking cycle can be adjusted, and both the external rotation and the internal rotation can be prevented.

Further, since the caregiving handle body 6 can be easily attached to the support body 5 by two screws 17, the support body 5 exists even in the lower limb orthotic device having a general configuration. By easily attaching it, a caregiver can provide assistance.

The grip portion 8 of the assist handle body 6 is formed in a substantially L shape because it is bent at approximately 90 ° with respect to the mounting portion 7. However, in the present invention, the angle at which the frame is bent is approximately 90. It is not limited to °. That is, the frame may be formed at an obtuse angle (for example, 130 to 140 °) or an acute angle than 90 °.

As shown in FIG. 5, the knee joint 10 includes an urging connection 18 urged in a direction of extending the knee at the upper end of the support 5M below the knee, and the support 5H above the knee. The urging switching operation piece 19 for switching to the urging state in which the urging force acts on the bending and extension of the knee by connecting to the 18 and the urging connecting body 18 are released from the connection by the urging switching operation piece 19. In the released state, the support portion 5H above the knee and the support portion 20 below the knee are provided with a rotation support portion 20 that supports the support body 5M so as to be rotatable in the bending / stretching direction.

The urging connecting body 18 is a flat plate made of a metal having sufficient strength, such as stainless steel, which is rotatably connected to the support column 5M by the rotating support portion 20, and is formed by the urging force of the spring 21 on the knee. The support is provided by engaging the step portion 18A pressed in the extension direction and the lower end of the bias switching operation piece 19 composed of a tubular body having a rectangular cross section formed so as to be slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the support 5H. It is provided with a slit 18B that is non-rotatable with respect to the body 5H. 22 is a groove for accommodating the spring 21, 23 is an urging tip provided at the tip of the spring 21 and abuts on the step 18A, and 24 is a knee support adjustment by pushing the other end side of the spring 21 by screwing. It is a stress adjustment screw that serves as a mechanism.

In the urging state shown in FIG. 4, the support column 5H is provided with a spherical protrusion 25 urged in the protruding direction and a recess 26 provided at a position corresponding to the protrusion 25. In the state where the urging switching operation piece 19 is lowered downward, the lower end of the urging switching operation piece 19 engages with the slit 18B. Further, since the protrusion 25 abuts on the upper end of the urging switching operation piece 19, the urging switching operation piece 19 is configured so as not to easily move upward.

If the support column 5H is to be rotated about the rotation support portion 20 with respect to the support 5M in the urged state, the urging connecting body 18 also needs to be rotated accordingly. Therefore, it is necessary to resist the urging force of the spring 21 and apply a force in order to rotate the support column 5H. That is, since the knee of the user wearing the lower limb orthotic device 1 is urged in the extension direction by the urging force of the spring 21, the user with weakened lower limb muscle strength can support walking independently.

Further, by adjusting the urging force of the spring 21 by using the knee support adjusting mechanism 24, it is possible to adjust the force that supports the flexion and extension of the knee. The tip of the spring 21 exerts an urging force on the step portion 18A via the urging tip 22, so that a sufficient urging force can be stably applied to the urging connector 18.

On the other hand, in the urging release state shown in FIG. 5, the urging switching operation piece 19 can be held in the urging release state by aligning the recess 26 with the protrusion 26, and in this urge release state, the urge switching operation Since the piece 19 can be separated from the urging connecting body 18, the strut body 5H can be rotatably supported with respect to the strut body 5M at the portion of the knee joint 10.

As shown in FIG. 6, the ankle joint 11 has a tilting support portion 27 that tiltably supports the strut body 5L below the ankle with respect to the strut body 5M above the ankle, and the ankle joint 11 in the front-rear direction with respect to the strut body 5L below the ankle. It is provided with elastic bodies 28F and 28R before and after applying an urging force to tilting, respectively. Further, the elastic bodies 28F and 28R are preferably springs, and their tip portions come into contact with the upper ends of the support columns 5L via the contact pieces 29, respectively. Further, each of the elastic bodies 28F and 28R is provided with an ankle support adjusting mechanism 30 for adjusting the urging force by screwing.

The ankle joint 11 having the above configuration can urge the angle of the ankle to a predetermined angle with an appropriate strength. Therefore, even a user who does not put force on the ankle can stand on his / her own and walk relatively easily. Further, the angle and urging force of the ankle can be adjusted by using the ankle support adjusting mechanism 30.

By using the lower limb orthotic device 1 having the above configuration, the user with paralyzed lower limbs can become independent even in a state where he / she cannot sufficiently develop muscle strength. Further, when there is a caregiver, it is possible to provide assistance by grasping the caregiving handle body and moving the user's leg in the vertical and horizontal directions together with the lower limb orthotic device 1. Further, the grip portion 8 bent in a substantially L shape can easily assist the external rotation of the foot. Since the caregiving handle body has an extremely simple structure, it is possible to prevent the lower limb orthotic device 1 from becoming heavy.

1 Lower limb orthotic device 2 Shoes 3 Thigh support part 4 Shine support part 5 Support body 6 Assistance handle body 7 Mounting part 8 Grip hand part 10 Knee hand part 11 Ankle hand part 18 Bias connection body 19 Bias switching operation piece 20 Rotation support part 27 Tilt support 28F, 28R elastic body

Claims (4)

Shoes to be worn on the lower limbs to be worn,
A thigh support body that wraps around the thigh and holds it,
A shin support body that wraps around and holds the shin,
These support bodies and struts that are attached to the left and right sides of the shoe to support weight support by the lower limbs,
It is equipped with an assistance handle body that can be attached to the outside of this strut body.
This caregiving handle body has a mounting portion extended along the support column body and a mounting portion.
A grip portion formed by bending the mounting portion in a substantially L shape is provided , and the grip portion extends in a substantially horizontal direction when the longitudinal direction of the support column is directed in a substantially vertical direction. A lower limb orthotic that is configured to be put out. The lower limb orthotic device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment portion is screwed to the upper portion of the support column at two locations spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the upper portion. It is attached to the outer strut body of the lower limb orthotic device that supports self-walking when the lower limb muscle strength is weakened by mounting the strut body along the side surface of the lower limb to be worn.
A mounting portion extended along the support column and
A grip portion that is bent in a substantially L shape with respect to the mounting portion is provided so that the grip portion extends in a substantially horizontal direction when the longitudinal direction of the strut is directed in a substantially vertical direction. Assistance handle body for lower limb equipment characterized by being configured in. The caregiving handle body for a lower limb orthotic device according to claim 3, wherein the attachment portion is screwed to the upper portion of the support column at two locations spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the upper portion.

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